University of Mississippi Chancellor Dan Jones says he is disappointed in the “immature and uncivil approach” taken by some students following Tuesday night’s election results, which resulted in hours of on-campus protesting that has now become a national news story.

A statement released by the university Wednesday says some students notified university police that people were gathering near the student union to protest President Barack Obama’s reelection.

Officers arrived to find about 30-40 students in front of the union, which quickly grew to more 400 students within 20 minutes.

UPD ordered the group to return to their residence halls, which took about 25 minutes, according to the statement. But another group of about 100 students gathered at another residence hall soon after. Officers made two arrests for disorderly conduct: one for public intoxication and one for failure to comply with police orders.

Jones said social media played a huge role in both prompting the gathering and spreading misinformation about what actually happened.

Initial reports on Twitter labeled the gathering as a “riot,” but many observers say it was simply a small group of angry students assembled in protest. Photos quickly spread on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram of students gathered on campus, including one photo showing a Obama/Biden campaign sign that had been set on fire.

“Unfortunately, early news reports quoted social media comments that were inaccurate,” he said. “Too, some photographs published in social media portrayed events that police did not observe on campus. Nevertheless, the reports of uncivil language and shouted racial epithets appear to be accurate and are universally condemned by the university, student leaders and the vast majority of students who are more representative of our university creed.”

Jones said parents are being notified that “one of America’s safest campuses is safe again this morning, though all of us are ashamed of the few students who have negatively affected the reputations of each of us and of our university.”

According to various media reports, no students were hurt during the protests.

University of Mississippi Chancellor Dan Jones says he is disappointed in the “immature and uncivil approach” taken by some students following Tuesday night’s election results, which resulted in hours of on-campus protesting that has now become a national news story.

A statement released by the university Wednesday says some students notified university police that people were gathering near the student union to protest President Barack Obama’s reelection.

Officers arrived to find about 30-40 students in front of the union, which quickly grew to more 400 students within 20 minutes.

UPD ordered the group to return to their residence halls, which took about 25 minutes, according to the statement. But another group of about 100 students gathered at another residence hall soon after. Officers made two arrests for disorderly conduct: one for public intoxication and one for failure to comply with police orders.

Jones said social media played a huge role in both prompting the gathering and spreading misinformation about what actually happened.

Initial reports on Twitter labeled the gathering as a “riot,” but many observers say it was simply a small group of angry students assembled in protest. Photos quickly spread on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram of students gathered on campus, including one photo showing a Obama/Biden campaign sign that had been set on fire.

“Unfortunately, early news reports quoted social media comments that were inaccurate,” he said. “Too, some photographs published in social media portrayed events that police did not observe on campus. Nevertheless, the reports of uncivil language and shouted racial epithets appear to be accurate and are universally condemned by the university, student leaders and the vast majority of students who are more representative of our university creed.”

Jones said parents are being notified that “one of America’s safest campuses is safe again this morning, though all of us are ashamed of the few students who have negatively affected the reputations of each of us and of our university.”

According to various media reports, no students were hurt during the protests.

I have very mixed feelings about the emotional responses from outrageous people last night. The main positive is that all of the people on here and elsewhere that like to paint America as a place where race is rarely an issue can shut the f up now. I've seen and heard many racist posts many of which include the N word. Just plain hateful and despicable things were said and it came from a real place. That's what scares me. As a black man, you try to move on with your life but the attitudes that were ever so present 50 years ago have not diminished as much as I thought they have or have been told so.

These feelings and beliefs have just been hidden and rise when provoked.

No... Don't let them fool you. There are a fair number of people who genuinely believe the country is being taken over by communists and/or socialists and our freedom is in peril. I have little doubt that -- if the roles were reversed as I described above -- some would attempt to take matters into their own hands.

Everyone calls the Republicans backwards, old-thinking, too redneck....and yet they feel like they need to get even more conservative. The GOP doesn't need to get more conservative, what they need to do is get off their high-horses and take a look at some of their own that left to go Libertarian. I really think they're on to something, as radical as they sound. The Republicans desperately tried to shove Ron Paul out of the spotlight, to the point where they basically cut the mic on anyone that brought him up at the RNC. Not saying he's the answer (not exactly a spring chicken), although I'd love for him to be my president. If not him, then someone younger and at someone with at least a damn ounce of charisma.

As a Republican, I very confidently put in a vote for McCain....I just couldn't do it for Romney. We need to take a good look at candidates starting TODAY to try to break the stereotypical Republican choice, because it's clearly not what America is looking for right now. Also as a Republican, I tip my hat to Obama and his supporters. I strongly disagree with his economic policies, but I'll still support my president.

MY POINT: We're not all redneck, hillbilly cvnts who think this is the death of America.

I think it's laughable though that people seem to think Romney lost because he was too moderate.

No, I truly believe that people would die. I'm not saying it would be akin to the American Civil War, but I would expect insane Tea Party militias to form and attempt to "take back their government."

I think people underestimate how powerful this rhetoric truly is. Yeah, some people are just venting, but others are deadly serious.

Those circumstances were outlandish.

Let's just say that Obama had a brother who was governor of Ohio, which is the state that decided the election. There was also a liberal state supreme court in place. The election percentages were in the margin to induce a mandatory recount, but Ohio -- a state controlled by Democrats, namely Obama's brother -- stopped the recount and simply awarded the election to Obama.

You don't think things would get really ugly in that circumstance? If these people react to a completely valid election with this kind of vitriol, what if there was truly something that could realistically be termed a partisan takeover of the White House? The political air wasn't nearly as toxic then as it is now (and it was damn toxic).

No, I truly believe that people would die. I'm not saying it would be akin to the American Civil War, but I would expect insane Tea Party militias to form and attempt to "take back their government."

I think people underestimate how powerful this rhetoric truly is. Yeah, some people are just venting, but others are deadly serious.

Those circumstances were outlandish and, if these people react to a completely valid election with this kind of vitriol, what if there was truly something that could realistically be termed a partisan takeover of the White House? The political air wasn't nearly as toxic then as it is now (and it was damn toxic).

No, I truly believe that people would die. I'm not saying it would be akin to the American Civil War, but I would expect insane Tea Party militias to form and attempt to "take back their government."

I think people underestimate how powerful this rhetoric truly is. Yeah, some people are just venting, but others are deadly serious.

Those circumstances were outlandish.

Let's just say that Obama had a brother who was governor of Ohio, which is the state that decided the election. There was also a liberal state supreme court in place. The election percentages were in the margin to induce a mandatory recount, but Ohio -- a state controlled by Democrats, namely Obama's brother -- stopped the recount and simply awarded the election to Obama.

You don't think things would get really ugly in that circumstance? If these people react to a completely valid election with this kind of vitriol, what if there was truly something that could realistically be termed a partisan takeover of the White House? The political air wasn't nearly as toxic then as it is now (and it was damn toxic).

It would get out of control.

Its a big step to saying you will do something and actually doing something. I doubt they would have balls to actually risk their lives. A lot of people threaten to do stuff on the internet, they arent half as tough in real life. Besides it would be a suicidal attack, they wouldn't survive. No militia group in this country can even take on the national guard.

When McCain was fighting Bush for the Republican nomination he was seen as the epitome of a moderate candidate, fast forward to when he actually does get the nomination and they turn him into a bastion of conservative values and he loses.

Mitt Romney when he was governor was seen as a moderate and at some points in the election he was touting some moderate values but as soon as he went down the conservative line Obama runs away with the electoral college.

When McCain was fighting Bush for the Republican nomination he was seen as the epitome of a moderate candidate, fast forward to when he actually does get the nomination and they turn him into a bastion of conservative values and he loses.

Mitt Romney when he was governor was seen as a moderate and at some points in the election he was touting some moderate values but as soon as he went down the conservative line Obama runs away with the electoral college.

Exactly. Romney didn't lose because he was too moderate. He lost because the Republican party has allowed itself to be aligned with extremists.

Think about the primarys. Santorum challenged the separation of church vs state. Bachman claims the gov't is infiltrated by Muslim terrorists. Gingrich challenges the notion of judicial authority. The other nitwit whose name I can't even recall wanted to dismantle more divisions of the government than he could name. Trump challenges the presidents birth certificate.

In order to secure the support of the party, a guy who had been a successful, moderate governor of the most liberal state in the nation had to try and match the crazy. Hell, you could tell that even he didn't believe some of the stuff he was saying.

The GOP needs to separate itself from the Tea Party, stop catering to small, elite groups of financiers, and try to get back to a point where the average, middle class voter sees them as empathetic to his plight.

Exactly. Romney didn't lose because he was too moderate. He lost because the Republican party has allowed itself to be aligned with extremists.

Think about the primarys. Santorum challenged the separation of church vs state. Bachman claims the gov't is infiltrated by Muslim terrorists. Gingrich challenges the notion of judicial authority. The other nitwit whose name I can't even recall wanted to dismantle more divisions of the government than he could name. Trump challenges the presidents birth certificate.

In order to secure the support of the party, a guy who had been a successful, moderate governor of the most liberal state in the nation had to try and match the crazy. Hell, you could tell that even he didn't believe some of the stuff he was saying.

The GOP needs to separate itself from the Tea Party, stop catering to small, elite groups of financiers, and try to get back to a point where the average, middle class voter sees them as empathetic to his plight.

they need to be the party that stays out of your pocket and your bedroom

they need to be the party that stays out of your pocket and your bedroom

...and isn't afraid to talk about cutting military spending, which should be a core conservative value, but somehow it has become unthinkable to Republicans. I think there was a real place in this election for a candidate to step up and say, "I'll reduce the size of our defense budget substantially."

Yet, the roles have completely switched. Democrats aren't talking about cutting defense, but at least they also aren't talking about increasing it dramatically. The Republicans have completely gone off the rails on this issue, imo, and it is something they need to address going forward.

You can't be the supposed fiscally responsible party and advocate massive spending increases to a military already the size of the next 11 countries combined. It is lunacy. And it is an issue that would have traction for a lot of people on both sides of the aisle.